Originally posted by ElrondElensar I doubt it:
(1) A7RII was so secretive that even just a day before it was announced, SAR (and other rumors sites) had absolutely no clue about the specs and none mentioned the 42 MP sensor. It's highly unlikely that Nikon and Pentax were
manufacturing cameras based on that sensor (and Pentax one would be close to production if not already in production) and no rumor site even knew about it.
(2) Last 3 years Sony has shown they would go exclusive on some sensors for an year or two before they start selling (example: RX100, A7s, etc), so there is no guarantee that this sensor is even on sale yet.
You need to go back a little farther. Last year it was rumored that Sony would announce new sensor technology in 2015. Everyone assumed it would be at CP+ in Feb, but they held it back. If you look at some thread on this boards you will find mention of a 42MP sensor that yields 18MP ASP-C crops. Nobody thought it would be a BSI sensor, but yes 42MP has been rumored.
The A7s sensor was designed for 4K and 12MP allows for 4K without line skipping, pixel binning or downsampling. The reality is they wouldn't sell any of them even if they didn't keep them off the market. Its a sensor designed for 4K work. At low ISO the 36MP has better color, DR, lower noise, and is cheaper. What company that is developing a DSLR today would by an expensive 12MP sensor designed for 4K work when they can get the 36MP for less and better IQ up to 6,400 ISO.
The 42MP is a different story. It yields 18MP APS-C images so Ricoh users can still use all their APS-C glass and get excellent results. The BSI sensor should yield better color and DR.
Sony really can't afford to keep sensors to themselves. The BSI sensor from Samsung is actually very good and if Sony decides to keep the sensor for themselves they open the door for their competition. Sony needs volume to keep the cost down and the reality is that Sony isn't going to sell a million A7rII bodies. Sony needs Nikon and Ricoh as customers. Samsung is on the sidelines just praying that Sony keeps this sensor off of the market, and so is Fuji and Panasonic.